living on pins and needles

Irony on Sticky Support for Troops

On December 9th, I sent the following letter and an accompanying yellow ribbon magnet to Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld.

Dear Secretary Rumsfeld:

I hope the enclosed car magnet will serve to remind you that “the Army you get,” as you so succinctly put it to our troops in Iraq, is the Army YOU provide.

In response I received the following reply from the Department of the Army last week:

The office of Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld shared with me the letter and car magnet you sent to the Secretary. Thank you for sending your reminder.

Troops stationed around the world need reminders, too, that devoted Americans like you are behind them and will not forget the sacrifices they continue to make on our behalf.

They are out on the front lines fighting for our freedoms, and we owe them our support. These car-and-truck magnets are a great way for us to show our continued support for them and their families.

Thank you again for writing to your military.

Sincerely,

Mark Heeter
Public Affairs Specialist

Nice letter, but am I the only one who thinks our troops are in big trouble when the Army advocates sticking magnets on our oil-dependent cars and trucks – the very reason our troops are in Iraq – as “a great way for us to show our continued support” ?